Chapter 99 Visiting the Teacher
North City, Taihekou.
The sign for the martial arts school was so weathered that even the first two characters were illegible. If Chen Shu hadn't led the way, Chen Yun would never have imagined that there was a martial arts school in this dilapidated tenement building.
Perhaps because Chen Yun's helpless expression was too obvious, Chen Shu gave her a few special instructions before entering the tenement building.
"Master Jiang is a true martial arts master, you must not underestimate him."
"Don't let its location in a tenement building fool you, it's quite famous!"
"I'll be careful what I say," Chen Yun quickly assured him, exchanging a glance with Gao Ming before pursing their lips together.
“Dad, I’ll take you to where I practice. There are so many people there!” Gao Nian’an said with a smile, grabbing Gao Ming’s hand and then quickly pulling Chen Yun with her other hand. “Everyone envies me for having a doctor mother. They’ll be so happy if I take you there.”
After passing through a corridor blackened by the smoke of honeycomb briquettes, two wooden stakes that Chen Yun had seen in martial arts movies came into view.
The first floor looks no different from an ordinary tenement building, but most of the walls in the middle of the room, except for the load-bearing walls, have been knocked down to form a single room.
Some rooms were just door frames, while two at least had a red wooden door installed.
The sign hanging in the middle of the corridor finally revealed the name of the martial arts school to Chen Yun.
[Zhenxing Martial Arts School]
The smell of medicinal liquor wafting through the corridor seemed to be the main odor of the martial arts school, occasionally mixed with the smell of sweat that was blown into everyone's noses by the wind.
Gao Ming's expression was far from pleasant.
The environment was less than ideal, and the thought of my daughter spending all her time learning martial arts with a bunch of rascals filled me with a terrible feeling.
"Mom, I'm going to call Grandpa Jiang."
As soon as Gao Nian'an entered, he felt at home and immediately let go of Gao Ming's hand and rushed into one of the rooms.
As the wooden door was pushed open, countless dust particles danced in the light that suddenly streamed into the corridor, and an even stronger smell of medicinal wine wafted out.
"Grandpa Jiang..."
Chen Yun heard her daughter's cheerful laughter echoing in the room.
In the corridor, Chen Shu was also talking to Gao Ming, whose face was not very good, about Master Jiang.
"Master Jiang is a really good person..."
Master Jiang's full name is Jiang Huai Chen. His ancestors ran a security escort agency for generations, which was converted into a martial arts school by his father's generation. Master Jiang grew up in the martial arts school.
Later, Master Jiang took over the martial arts school, but he was reported by a villain, and Master Jiang and his family were criticized and sent to a cowshed.
Mr. Jiang's parents, wife, and children all passed away after he underwent ideological reform.
He was the only one who, with the help of his old friends, was exonerated and returned to the city, and then opened this martial arts school with everyone's fundraising.
"Most of Master Jiang's students are orphans or children from families so poor they can't even afford to eat... As long as they learn martial arts at the school, at least the children won't starve..."
Master Jiang sent the children to school, and learning martial arts was just one of the ways out for them.
So during the day, only Master Jiang is at the martial arts school. It's only after school or when school is on holiday that the place is filled with laughter and joy.
"Master Jiang doesn't take on apprentices; the children here all call him Grandpa Jiang."
As soon as Chen Shu finished speaking, Gao Nian'an reappeared in the corridor, frantically waving to the group: "Mom and Dad, come in quickly, Grandpa Jiang is waiting for you."
The three entered the house one after another.
A wooden bed was placed against the left wall of the room, with a white mosquito net covering most of it. Apart from a few old wooden sofas, gray wooden boxes were piled up in every corner in front of the window.
Master Jiang stood by the window, smacked his lips on a pipe that was clearly empty of tobacco, and nodded with a smile to the group.
"Are you Xiao Shiwu's parents?"
"Hello, Master Jiang, I am Chen Yun, Gao Nian'an's mother, and this is her father, Gao Ming."
Jiang Huai Chen's hair was completely white, and he was slightly hunched over, but the temperament between his brows was like tempered steel, calm yet exuding endless resilience.
"Please sit down, please sit down. There's nothing fancy to offer you here, but please have some tea to quench your thirst."
"Master Jiang, please don't be so polite. My daughter and son-in-law aren't the type to stand on ceremony." Chen Shu stepped forward, took Master Jiang's hand as he poured tea, and led him to the sofa. "It's just that Nian'an has been learning martial arts from you for almost half a year. As her parents, we should at least come and pay a visit."
"I understand!" Master Jiang waved his hand.
Gao Ming quickly placed the gift on the wooden box and took the teapot to pour water.
"I heard from Old Chen that Xiao Shiwu's sworn brother has a blood disease. How is the treatment going?"
Master Jiang smiled kindly, looking at Chen Yun and Gao Ming as if he were looking at younger family members, and his words were all casual and familiar.
"We've made it through chemotherapy, and now we're in the bone marrow suppression phase." Chen Yun caught her daughter who jumped into her arms and continued with a smile, "Once we get through this stage, the illness will be mostly cured."
Ruanqiu's return was more effective than any magic pill for Li Shuaishuai, and the mother and son both managed to get through the most difficult chemotherapy reactions.
It can be said that Ruanqiu is the backbone of the entire Li family.
Li Shuaishuai's condition is getting better and better, and Chen Yun and Gao Mingcai finally have time to visit their daughter's martial arts teacher.
"It's good that it can be cured!" Master Jiang took another puff of his pipe: "If this disease had happened more than ten years ago, even if you had money, you couldn't cure it."
“Our country’s medical standards will definitely get better and better,” Chen Yun replied.
"I heard from Xiao Shiwu that she's learning martial arts because she wants to be a movie star?" Master Jiang changed the subject, his gaze sharp as he looked at Gao Ming: "Is it her idea, or do you want your daughter to become a star and make money?"
Gao Nian'an ranked fifteenth among the apprentices at the martial arts school, so Master Jiang and her fellow apprentices usually called her "Little Fifteenth".
Not long ago, I overheard students discussing how much money celebrities can make, and when I asked, I found out that it was Gao Nian'an who first brought it up.
It's hard for Mr. Jiang not to suspect that his 15-year-old daughter's thoughts were instilled in her by her parents.
Chen Yun felt wronged...
Before either of them could explain, Gao Nian'an suddenly raised his hand and interjected, "It's me who wants to be a martial arts star, but my dad doesn't agree."
That saved the couple from having to explain.
Gao Ming scratched his head, both amused and exasperated: "Master Jiang, you don't know, my daughter has always been very opinionated. As long as she doesn't go astray, her mother and I can only support her."
Before you knew it, Gao Nian'an was already fifteen years old, sitting on Chen Yun's lap and even half a head taller than his mother.
After losing her baby fat, her round face was sculpted with two sharp angles that could block out the light, and her jawline became slightly sharp.
The most striking feature of her face was undoubtedly her radiant smile, which seemed to dispel all gloom. As soon as the corners of her lips turned up slightly, she seemed to radiate a bright and cheerful aura.
Gao Nian'an's restless nature meant he often played and ran under the scorching sun, yet his skin remained fair and smooth—he was truly blessed with a beautiful appearance.
Even from someone else's perspective, Chen Yun thought Gao Nian'an was truly beautiful.
“Xiao Shiwu is quite good-looking, a star…” Master Jiang nodded, first affirming Gao Nian’an’s appearance, then changed the subject: “However, I do not agree with letting the child give up his studies to go to a martial arts school.”
Master Jiang knows better than the average person how to get into the performing arts industry.
If you want to become a martial arts star, the first choice is of course a martial arts school, as film crews and schools have always had collaborations.
The second option is to join a martial arts team and pursue fame through competitions.
Regardless of whether it's the first or the second route, Master Jiang felt that neither was suitable for Gao Nian'an.
The child was almost fifteen when she came to learn martial arts. Girls' bodies develop faster than boys', so it was really a bit late for her to start learning the basics at fifteen.
In addition, Gao Nian'an's personality cannot tolerate any kind of disciplined method, so a martial arts school is not suitable for her.
“We have no intention of letting Gao Nian’an give up her studies.” Chen Yun quickly stated her position, and then had to push her daughter aside to see Master Jiang’s face: “If she wants to become a martial arts star, her father and I both hope that she can get into the film academy first.”
In other words, learning martial arts under Master Jiang's martial arts school is simply laying the foundation for future dreams.
"I'm relieved that you think that way!" Master Jiang's lips slowly curled into a smile, and he tapped his pipe against the window behind him a few times: "Don't be like the family upstairs, whose child is only fourteen years old and has been sent to film a movie for almost a year without going to school."
"Don't worry, Master Jiang."
After those words, Gao Ming's impression of Master Jiang improved dramatically, and his smile became much more sincere.
Just then, a shrill voice, clearly tinged with anger, suddenly came from the corridor.
Is Master Jiang here?
"Yes!" Master Jiang replied with a livid face, getting up slowly as if deliberately delaying.
It took him a while to walk to the door with his hands behind his back.
"Today is the 15th, you should have paid your rent by now, shouldn't you?" The woman put one hand on her hip and pointed at Mr. Jiang's face with the other, her tone full of sarcasm: "If you don't have money, move out quickly, don't be a beggar here."
"Didn't Old Lü say he'd waive the rent for a year?" Master Jiang's face showed shame, his eyes constantly watching the movements of the people inside the room. "Consider it tuition for Lü Song learning martial arts here?"
"Old Lu's word doesn't count." The woman glanced sideways at Master Jiang, her words even more sarcastic: "My son becoming a movie star is his own ability, what does it have to do with your shabby martial arts school?"
Inside the room, Gao Nian'an suddenly reached out and tugged at Gao Ming's sleeve.
"dad."
Gao Ming instantly understood his daughter's meaning. He cleared his throat and tried to stand up, but Chen Yun grabbed his arm.
"Doesn't your company's reception department have an empty warehouse?"
"Okay." Gao Ming nodded.
"I will definitely pay the rent next week, next week."
When Yu Guangzhong noticed Gao Ming's actions, Master Jiang felt somewhat embarrassed and just wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
"Is Mr. Jiang paying rent for last year or next year?"
"There's no such thing as paying after you've checked in!" The woman rolled her eyes at Gao Ming, scrutinizing him from head to toe. "What, you're going to pay for Master Jiang's place?"
"As long as the rent isn't too bad."
Gao Ming had no intention of responding to the woman's words. Instead, he turned to Master Jiang and said, "I have a company reception office at the entrance of Beimen Hutong, which is connected to a courtyard house. It has been empty for more than half a year. If Master Jiang doesn't mind, you can move your martial arts school there."
The courtyard house is a bit old, but the lighting and the living space are many times better than this tenement building.
The key point is that the place is close to Guanming Hutong... it's only a five-minute walk home.
"Master Jiang, don't be in such a hurry to refuse my son-in-law's kindness. Go and take a look first," Chen Shu advised.
Chen Yun also chimed in, saying, "The house is just sitting empty anyway; it's less likely to collapse if there are people around."
"..."
After being persuaded by several people, Master Jiang reluctantly agreed.
The woman was unhappy. First, she said that Master Jiang hadn't said in advance that he wasn't renting it out, and then hurriedly told them where to find a tenant.
Later, they asked for money to restore the demolished wall. In fact, before Master Jiang moved in... this place was already a factory canteen.
In other words, the wall was destroyed by the factory and had nothing to do with Master Jiang.
But Master Jiang was not good with words, and even when he was in the right, he lacked confidence when faced with a woman's unreasonable nagging.
It took Gao Ming a long time to understand what he meant, stammering and stuttering.
"This used to be the factory canteen?"
"It was... the single dormitory of the East China Radio Factory. I rented a room from the factory back then."
Master Jiang pointed to the northwest of the tenement building, and in that direction he saw a four-story red brick building, which was the office building of the radio factory.
Currently, the radio factory is still operating normally.
"Can the factory sell you its single dormitory building?" Gao Ming asked.
"Why do you care so much!" The woman put her hands on her hips and spat at Gao Ming with a righteous air: "Mind your own business! So what if I bought this building!"
"Bullshit!" Master Jiang snorted, his temper rising as the woman's nonsense flared up: "There are clearly factory workers living upstairs, how could it be sold to you!"
Gao Ming's smile deepened: "Then I'll talk to the radio factory leaders directly about this matter. Why bother talking to you?" After saying that, he raised his chin towards Master Jiang: "Master Jiang, come with me. We can talk to the factory leaders about how much rent you paid in the past few years."
"Hey!" The woman indeed reached out in a panic to stop the two of them.
A brief exclamation was enough to prove that Gao Ming's casual guess was true.
The house definitely doesn't belong to the woman; she's most likely just a factory worker who's only responsible for collecting rent.
Furthermore, the rent for Master Jiang's house must have increased over the years, but only the woman and the factory leaders know whether it was the factory that raised it.
Master Jiang suddenly realized what was happening, pointed at the woman, and stammered again: "You...you must have lied to me about raising the rent at my factory, and...and the water and electricity bills!"
The woman's panic deepened, her eyes darting around aimlessly.
"Don't waste your breath on her, just ask the factory leaders!" Gao Ming said coldly.
"I was bewitched!" the woman suddenly shouted, grabbing Jiang's sleeve. "If you go to the factory to complain, my husband will lose his job. Lu Song at least calls you 'teacher,' please, Master Jiang, have mercy on me..."
Tears flowed freely, the woman's legs went weak as noodles, and she even tried to kneel down as she spoke.
"..."
"Master Jiang?" Gao Ming asked, "How to handle this next is up to the person involved."
Master Jiang sighed and waved his hand at Gao Ming: "Give me back the rent and utility bills I've overpaid over the years, and we'll call it even!"
Lu Song studied martial arts under him for six years and called him teacher for six years... Master Jiang eventually softened.
"Lu Song is a good boy, it's such a shame he ended up with parents like you..."
Master Jiang shook his head and sighed repeatedly.
Lu Song's parents may not know that the film director is actually his father's disciple, and he and Master Jiang are true fellow disciples.
My junior brother only gave Lü Song a minor supporting role because of him.
But this minor supporting role made Lü Song's parents believe that their son would definitely become a movie star in the future, and they turned against Master Jiang before the movie was even finished.
Master Jiang believed that his junior apprentice would soon find out about today's events.
It's destined that... Master Jiang won't be the stepping stone for this child to become a movie star.
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